Two Souls Alit
by ImagineLizards
Summary: Silver has known Blaze for years. They're practically family. But recently, Silver has started to feel strange around her... could it be that he's falling in love? How will he be able to build up the courage to tell her; and what if she doesn't feel the same? Ship: Silvaze; romance/mild violence. May contain some coarse/rude language.
1. Chapter 1

Two Souls Alit

Chapter One- Mixed Feelings

Silver sat down and rested against a tree. A slight breeze rustled the leaves, and a few fluttered down. He could hear the distant sounds of waves crashing on rocks; the sounds of birds flying back to their nests after a long day. He sighed, closing his eyes. He had never felt this peaceful back in Crisis City... except for when Blaze was with him.

Blaze. The one person who had always been there for him. The one person who would protect him; who _understood _him. She was always by his side. She had always helped him. She was what kept him going—what inspired him.

Silver had always thought of Blaze as family, and the feeling was mutual. But lately, he felt... different. Like he wanted to be with her. Hold her hand. Kiss her.

The hedgehog's face heated up at the ridiculous thought. Blaze would never love him in that way. He didn't want to tell her how he felt, for he feared things would be very different between them. Maybe she would leave him.

He suddenly felt a hand rest on his shoulder, snapping him out of his trance. He looked up to see a beautiful, lavender cat standing there.

"Hello, Silver," Blaze greeted. "Why are you here all by yourself? Is something the matter?" she asked.

"No... It's nothing. I just wanted to watch the sunset," Silver replied.

Blaze smiled, earning a small blush from Silver. She sat down in the grass next to him. "Yeah... The sunsets sure are beautiful here."

"Sure are." He watched as the sun slowly inched downward, painting the sky many different beautiful colors. He allowed his gaze to wander back over to Blaze. Her golden eyes reflected the sunset, a fire dancing behind them. That was one of the many things he admired about her. Her sheer determination, fiery passion; how she never gave up. And, after all these years, she never gave up on _him_, no matter how idiotic he could be at times.

The two sat in silence for a while, until Blaze stood up. "It's getting dark. I'm going to head back home." She said this just as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

"I'm going to stay here for a little longer," Silver told her, giving a small smile.

"Alright. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow." And with that, the lavender cat walked off, leaving Silver alone with his thoughts. He looked back to where the sun was only moments ago, resting against the tree and closing his eyes again. He just couldn't get Blaze's image out of his mind. Her beautiful eyes, soothing voice... Ugh, what was _wrong _with him? Blaze will never see him that way. He's suddenly mad at himself for ever having such stupid thoughts. But he couldn't stop thinking about her. Nobody else in the world understood him the way she did. She was the only person he could trust. She was everything to him.

All he wanted to do was be with her. He wanted this more than anything; he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He loved her. Loved her with all of his being. And he wanted her to love him back.

But he knew that was ridiculous. It was apparent that some of the other guys had a crush on her—and who could blame them? She's perfect. Any of those guys would be a much better match for her than him. In fact, he was almost certain he was the least qualified person to be with her.

But he couldn't spend the rest of his life just being friends with her. He couldn't keep these emotions bottled up forever. He would have to come clean sometime.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow was the day he'd finally tell her, he decided. If Blaze didn't feel the same way... well, that was what he expected, right? But he had to tell her. He just couldn't hold on.

It was decided. Tomorrow he'll tell Blaze how he feels about her.


	2. Chapter 2

Two Souls Alit

Chapter Two- Could it be?

Blaze rubbed her eyes, blinked a few times and then finally sat up. She hadn't slept very well... she kept having strange dreams. For the past month, she had been dreaming about a certain hedgehog named Silver. She had no idea why, though. The dreams have gotten stranger and stranger each time. Last night's dream was of them kissing. _Kissing._ What could it mean? Was she in _love _with Silver?

No. What a dumb thought.

The cat shook her head and stood up, heading to the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, her eyes were a little red due to lack of sleep. She splashed some water on her face to help wake up, brushed her teeth, got dressed and headed downstairs. In the living room, Silver was sitting on the couch, watching television. The two, of course, shared a house—they were practically family.

"You're up early," Blaze said, causing the hedgehog to jump a little; having not heard her come down the stairs.

"Oh, uh... Y-yeah." He smiled awkwardly. "Didn't sleep too well."

"Me neither. Weird dreams?"

"How'd you-"

"I've been having them, too." Blaze said, sitting down next to Silver. She noticed his face had turned a light shade of red, and as she sat down, his eyes darted awkwardly away. He's been acting strange lately.

"Uh... What kind of dreams are you having..?" Silver asked. As soon as he did, the image of last night's dream—of them kissing—popped into her head. She felt her cheeks heat up and quickly shook the thought away.

"I don't know. Strange things." she said with a shrug. Silver looked as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Hey, uh... Blaze?"

"Yeah?" She turned to face him. He looked down and began to wring his hands nervously, his face now glowing crimson.

"I-I, uh... wanted to tell you something." He cleared his throat.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"I... I, um..." Suddenly, there was a _ding__**, **_and Blaze looked over at the kitchen counter.

"Hold that thought. Looks like the toast's ready," She got up and walked over to the toaster, getting two plates out. After she had put the (slightly burnt) slices of toast on the plates and poured orange juice for both of them, the lavender cat walked back over to where Silver was sitting. "Now... what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Nothing. Never mind." Silver said, as if nothing had happened. But Blaze could sense something was wrong. She decided against pushing him further and began to eat her breakfast. Recently, Blaze had sensed something... different... about Silver. Something was stirring inside of him. She could only wonder what kinds of things he's been dreaming about. He had been acting unlike himself; more... awkward than usual. Mostly around Blaze. Maybe they were both having the same types of dreams. Dreams where they were... together. _But what could it possibly mean?_ Blaze thought to herself. _It can't mean he's in love with me, or vice versa. That's stupid._ She was so deep in thought, she hardly heard the doorbell ring.

Silver beat her to opening the door. After all, he had psychokinesis; she didn't. With a wave of his hand, the door was open. Much to their surprise, Amy stood there, smiling excitedly. It looked like she had news.

"Hiya, Silver! Hey, Blaze!" she greeted both of them, casually letting herself in. "Nice place ya got here. Ooh, what's that?" Amy walked over to a small statue on a wooden desk next to the television. It was of a flame; carved from rubies.

"Woah, be careful with that!" Silver warned. He had it hand-carved—and it wasn't cheap, either.

"Alright, alright." Amy said with a roll of her eyes. She then seemed to remember why she had some to visit. "Oh! Hey, Blaze? Can I talk to you alone for a sec?"

"Sure, Amy. What's on your mi-" Before Blaze could finish her sentence, she was already being pulled up the stairs by her arm. Meanwhile, Silver was shaking his head. _Girls, _he thought.

The pink hedgehog pulled Blaze into her room and shut the door so that Silver couldn't hear them talk, even though they were all the way upstairs and he wouldn't be able to hear even if it was open. Amy sat down on Blaze's bed and leaned forward, smiling brightly. She was obviously hiding something, and couldn't _wait _to tell.

"Well? What is it?" Blaze asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Amy giggled. "You know~"

"Know what?" Blaze asked, growing impatient. "Just tell me whatever secret you know. I don't have all day."

"Don't tell me you don't know, silly! About you and Silver~!"

Blaze felt a blush form on her cheeks. "...What about us?"

"You're in _love _with him! C'mon, it's obvious!" She giggled again. Blaze simply stared... not really at anything in particular. Love? What did she mean? How could _Amy _possible know more about Blaze's love life than Blaze?

"'In love'? That's ridiculous. Besides, even if I was, I doubt Silver feels the same way..."

Amy squeaked in excitement. "So you _do _love him! I knew it! The way you look at him when you two talk, the way you always take his side when someone's arguing with him... you two are meant for each other~!"

Was she right? _Am I in love with Silver? _she asked herself. She then remembered the dreams. She remembered the dream where they kissed. She remembered how sweet in felt; how magical it was. How much she loved it. How much she loved _him._

So it is true.

"Well? What're you waiting for? Go down there and talk to him!"

"But... But what if he doesn't feel the same..?"

"Of _course _he feels the same! Haven't you noticed how awkward he acts around you? Sure sign of a crush!" She winked, and Blaze tried her best not to roll her eyes at the gesture.

"How do you know? I mean, if he doesn't-"

"Stop being stupid! He's head over heels for you~!"

_Maybe she's right... Maybe he does love me._ Blaze couldn't help but grin. Maybe they were meant for each other. She suddenly felt happy, even a little bit excited to go downstairs and see Silver. It seemed as if Amy could read minds; because she grabbed Blaze's arm once more and excitedly pulled her down the stairs.

Blaze walked over to the couch, but the white-grey hedgehog was nowhere to be found. "Hm... That's weird. He didn't even finish his breakfast."

"Come on, then! Let's go find him!" Amy said enthusiastically, going outside with Blaze not far behind.

—

Author's Note: Eh... I probably should've mentioned this before; but this is my first fanfic. I'll probably add more chapters on a daily basis until the end(of the story, that is.)—sometimes maybe even a couple chapters a day. Anyway, please leave reviews; it's much appreciated! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three- Training

Silver had gotten up earlier than he normally did. He usually slept in pretty late, but he stayed up for the majority of the previous night trying to figure out what to say to Blaze. _Should I just tell her I love her..? Or should I casually bring up the topic somehow?_ He honestly didn't know what to say... but he had to say _something._ He knew that today was the day he'd confess his feelings; and he was going to stick to that. Instead of lying in bed all day driving himself insane with ceaseless worried thoughts, Silver decided to watch some television in the living room to take his mind off things. Nothing good was on in the mornings; so he had to settle for a shark documentary. Despite his restlessness, it almost made him fall asleep.

Only about thirty minutes into the program, he heard someone greet him from behind. Taken by surprise, the hedgehog jumped a little in his seat.

"You're up early," Blaze had said. He told her that he didn't sleep well, but the truth was that he hadn't slept at all.

"Me neither. Weird dreams?" Now that she mentions it... Silver _has _been having weird dreams lately. Dreams mostly about her; about _them._

"How'd you-"

"I've been having them, too," she had replied simply. The two sat in awkward silence for what seemed to him like hours. When the hedgehog had finally built up the courage to tell her what was on her mind, breakfast was ready. _Of course._

Blaze prepared the food while Silver silently cursed himself. When the cat sat down once again and asked what he had been meaning to tell her, he just mumbled a "never mind" and began to eat his breakfast. When he looked over at Blaze, she looked deep in thought. She was always so secretive... she never shared anything with anyone; with the exception of Silver. But even with him she rarely came out of her shell. A minute later the doorbell rang, and Silver was quick to open it, relieved something had broken the uncomfortable silence. Amy stood on the other side, a wide smile on her face. She greeted them both, then took Blaze upstairs to talk about who-knows-what. _Girls._

Silver just shrugged and continued eating. Now that he was alone, he could fully enjoy his breakfast. Blaze had remembered to get his favorite kind of jam; a detail nobody else would have cared to pay attention to. He felt just a little better knowing Blaze had prepared this especially for him. He smiled.

Suddenly, a blue streak of light flashed by, accompanied by a burst of wind–ruffling Silver's already-terrible hairdo. Before the grey-white hedgehog knew what was happening, he was being yanked from his seat so fast he dropped his food. Only seconds later he was out in his backyard, the Blue Blur himself leaning smugly against the house, allowing Silver a few moments to regain his bearings and catch his breath.

"Where... Why... Sonic..?" was all he managed to breathe out between pants. He never was the fastest runner, especially when taken by surprise.

"Here t' give ya advice," Sonic replied with a smirk. "I know ya need it."

"Advice? For what?" Silver asked, able to breathe properly again.

"_You _know. Your little crush. I think it's _adorable_~" Sonic said mockingly. Silver's face heated up, and he didn't know whether from rage or embarrassment.

"W-what crush? I don't have a crush!"

Sonic looked at him as if he had just said the dumbest thing in the world. Maybe he had. "Come _on,_ man. It's no secret. You've been making goo-goo eyes at Blaze for the past month. Every time she looks at you, ya turn into a stuttering mess. Face it, Silv. You need help." As much as Silver hated to admit it, the blue hedgehog was right. He needed to get his nervousness under control if he was ever going to tell Blaze how he felt. He sighed and looked at Sonic, admitting defeat.

"Alright, alright. I admit it. Whatever. Will you just cut to the chase?"

"First things first. Ya need t' be able to ask your lady out on a date. Can't even do _that,_ then I guess you'll have to be lonely. You need to be brave, man. Just go out and say it. I hate seeing you act like a bigger idiot than you are, so you need to face your fears." Silver gulped. _How? I can't even make eye contact with Blaze without making a complete fool of myself._ "It isn't so easy for beginners, though. You're gonna need training," Sonic continued. _Training? What does he mean?_

Before Silver could begin to contemplate this, he was being dragged once again by the speedy hedgehog—down the street, over a bridge, past a, uh... school? _He's going so fast, I can't see anything clearly._ Silver clung onto Sonic's arm for dear life as he was practically dragged to an unknown location.

Later, Sonic and Silver arrived at Rouge's house.

"Here," Sonic had said. "Rouge agreed to help you... practice." _Ugh... So Rouge knows, too? How many others do? _

Right on cue, the bat walked out of her front door, putting a hand on her hip. "You're late, boys. You said you'd be here at nine. I have somewhere to be."

"I know, I know..." the Blue Blur said with a roll if his eyes. "But _this _one can't outrun a hippo." He gestured toward Silver, who glared at him in response.

"Alright, well, let's make it quick." Rouge said, waving her hand in dismissal and looking away, seemingly bored.

"Okay, Silver." Sonic said, turning to the white-grey hedgehog. "Just pretend she's Blaze, and ask her out. It isn't that bad. Trust me." Silver sighed, walking over to Rouge.

"Will you go on a date with me?" he asked, trying to exaggerate his boredom and disinterest as much as possible.

"No, no, no. Silv, you gotta pretend she's Blaze. Just look at her and imagine Blaze standing there, 'kay? Trust me. This'll help." _Alright, fine_. Silver looked at Rouge, and, in his imagination, replaced her image with Blaze's. Her beautiful, lavender fur... fiery eyes, warm smile. The way she could put him in a trance by laughing, the way she could make his face burn red-hot by simply standing near him. He gulped. _Just ask her,_ he told himself sternly. _She isn't real. This is just practice. Just say it._

"Um... Blaze, will you, ah... W-will you.."

"Cut! What was _that?_" Sonic asked, walking over to the two. "Silver, picture her saying 'yes'. Picture you two out on a date. Isn't it worth it? All you have to do is ask her. Go ahead and _say _it. You'll never be able to do it if you don't believe you can. Now, do you believe it?"

"Uh... yes..?"

"I _said..._ Do you believe it?"

"Yes." he replied, with a little more meaning.

"I can't hear you! _Do you believe it!_"

"Yes!" Silver shouted back, feeling full of energy all of a sudden. He felt... confident. Maybe he can actually do this; he can ask her.

"Well then prove it!" Sonic said enthusiastically. Silver composed himself, then looked back at Rouge, once again imagining Blaze standing there instead.

"Blaze, will you go out on a date with me?" He nervously awaited her answer, as if this were the real deal. Rouge simply nodded, and with Blaze's image in her place, it was enough to make him smile. _I... I can do it! I can do this!_

"Go get 'em, tiger." Sonic said with a thumbs-up, nodding his approval.

In an instant, Silver was gone—set off to find Blaze; feeling confident for the first time in a long time.

—

Author's Note: So... The beginning of this chapter was basically just like Chapter 2. I hope that's okay; I just felt it necessary to put that part in from Silver's point of view(sort of... It's still written in 3rd person). There will be more chapters to come. Please review and tell me what you think about this story so far, I appreciate it! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four- Butterflies

Blaze and Amy searched the neighborhood. They checked Sonic's house, but the blue hedgehog wasn't home. Instead, Tails had answered the door, informing the two that Sonic had gone to take care of "very important business".

"Well, is Silver inside?" Blaze had asked.

"No. Why, is he missing?" Tails questioned, tilting his head curiously to one side.

"We can't find him, so we came to check and see if he was here," Amy explained.

"Sorry; I know just about as much as you do, concerning Silver. Sonic didn't tell me where he was going, either." the kitsune said, a bit unhappy that he wasn't able to help. "I could look for him with you guys, if you want," he offered.

"Thank you, Tails," Blaze said with a smile. "It'd be great if you helped." The fox smiled, glad he could be of some use.

"Hey, how about we all split up?" Amy suggested. Blaze and Tails agreed. The three of them then decided which streets to search and which houses to check. Once they all knew where they were going, they set out to find the white-grey hedgehog. Blaze went down her assigned street, then knocked on Knuckles' door. She had know idea why in the world Silver would be _here,_ but she might as well check—just in case.

She knocked on the door once, and when nobody answered, knocked again—a little more impatiently. A drowsy "I'm coming" was heard from inside, and a sleepy red echidna who appeared to have just woken up answered the door. "What d'ya want?" he asked grumpily.

"I came to ask if Silver was here," the lavender cat replied.

"No. He isn't. Now go away; I need to sleep." Boy, looks like _someone_ woke up on the wrong side of the bed. When Blaze began to walk away, Knuckles grumbled something and closed the door.

Next on the list was Espio. He was usually up early; so Blaze didn't have to worry about another grouch. She rang the doorbell, and the chameleon answered. Of course, Silver wasn't there, either. She visited a few other friends' houses, even some people she didn't know very well. But, still no luck. She went back to Sonic's house, where Amy and Tails would meet up with her after having searched their own assigned streets. When she arrived, the two were already waiting.

"Well?" Blaze said, hoping for some good news. They both simply shook there heads, and Blaze felt a bit discouraged. _What if we don't find him? No. Of course we'll find him. Besides__—__he can take care of himself. ...I hope. _Just then, the sound of pounding footsteps echoed off the walls of houses behind them. Blaze turned around, smiling when she saw the outline of that familiar, terrible hair; the faint glow of circular marks; bright, amber eyes. Silver.

The hedgehog came to a stop, having to take a few moments to catch his breath. He never was a very fast runner, but the excitement to see Blaze had filled him with energy. When he looked up at the cat, she was smiling warmly; a sight that sent a tingling feeling through him, and his cheeks warmed up a tad.

"Silver," Blaze greeted. "I was worried about you. Why'd you go running off like that?" Silver was about to explain, but then realized it was better to keep his mouth shut about the whole thing. Saying he was taken away by Sonic would just raise more questions.

"Oh, you know... Just went outside for some... fresh air," he lied, rubbing the back of his head anxiously. He _had _to ask her before his nervousness consumed him and he ran off like a wimp.

Blaze chuckled, making Silver's blush deepen. "Fresh air, huh? Tell me next time." The lavender cat shifted uncomfortably, as if she wanted to do or say something. Or maybe she just had a pebble in her shoe; who knows.

Silver cleared his throat, readying himself to ask what he had come here to ask. _Come on. You can do it. You practiced this; remember? If only for a minute, but... a minute's enough. _He exhaled, clenching and unclenching his fists, eyes closed. When he opened his eyes again and looked up, his gaze fell upon Blaze's golden eyes. They looked as if they held a billion stars; like they were pools reflecting the early morning sun. There was always that fire behind them, and it would always be there. Glowing, burning ceaselessly, holding unimaginable power and beauty. So mysterious... so enchanting. So... beautiful. He found himself lost in her gaze, unable to break eye contact; if only for a moment. He wished he could look into those eyes forever. He wished he could hear her beautiful voice forever, feel her fingers intertwined with his own; her lips meet his. He wanted this more than anything. But, he flicked his eyes away when he remembered what he must ask her. By now, his entire face must be as red as a tomato.

_Ask her. Just do it. _He forced himself to look up again; and it took every ounce of concentration to not fall back into a trance when he made eye contact. Blaze waited for him to say something—it must be pretty obvious he intended to do so. He opened his mouth, but no words came out; only syllables jumbled together that came out as stutters. This was much harder than it was when he practiced. _Much _harder. Especially when there's a fifty-fifty chance of her rejecting him.

But he _had _to do it.

He felt nervousness bubble up inside him; butterflies frantically flapping their wings inside his stomach. He felt almost nauseous. Any drop of confidence he once had was gone, now. It took him a moment to realize he was wringing his hands, and quickly dropped them to his sides. Everyone was staring at him. They even looked a bit worried. Who could blame them? Silver was such a mess it looked like he had some sort of horrible disease. He swallowed, taking in a breath and letting it out; though that did little to ease his nervousness. He only had a few moments, he had to make them count. _Just do it. But what if she says no..? _He argued with himself in his head. _She could say yes, also. If you never ask, you'll never find out. _Silver sighed.

"Blaze, I have... something... to ask." He managed to get out. Not a single stutter, either. He was impressed with himself.

"What is it, Silver?" Blaze asked. For a moment, he thought he could see a hint of a blush appear on her face.

"Blaze, I..." He gulped. His heart was beating a million miles a minute. _Calm down, Silver. _"I... I wanted to ask... Will you go on a date with me?" There. It was out. It was over. Now he just had to wait for her answer. The hedgehog tensed up, preparing for the worst.

"I... Silver, I... um..." Oh no. _You blew it. _He could already tell what her answer was. She probably thought he was crazy. She probably thought a million different things. For all he knew, their life-long friendship could be over. Maybe he just lost the one thing he cared most about. He was so caught up in his negative thoughts, he hardly heard her when she answered.

"... Sorry, what was that..?" He asked nervously. It almost sounded like she said...

"Yes, Silver. It'd be fun." Blaze gave him a small, yet reassuring smile. Amy, standing off to the side, was also smiling. He felt a smile spread on his face, as well.

"R-really? You mean it?"

"I mean it," Blaze assured, her smile remaining. Her cheeks turned a very light red; it was almost impossible to see it. Silver almost squealed like a little girl he was so happy. Everything he ever wanted could finally become a reality. Without thinking, the hedgehog pulled Blaze into a tight hug; almost picking her up off her feet.

"Urk—not... so... tight," the cat complained. He let go, blushing nervously.

"Heh... S-sorry," he said nervously. He had just barely finished his sentence before Blaze pulled him into another, less tight hug. He hugged her back and closed his eyes, allowing a smile to form on his face. He didn't care who was watching.

She said yes.

Maybe things will work out.

Maybe his dreams could come true.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five-

"Alright, Amy. I'm here. What do you want?" Rouge asked impatiently. Amy had asked her to come over, claiming she needed to take care of something and needed Rouge's help. _I swear, if this is about Sonic again..._

"You need to help me help Blaze on her big date. You _know _she needs it." _Seriously? I've already helped Silver today; now I have to help Blaze, too? What am I, the love expert? _The bat sighed.

"What's in it for me?" she asked. She might as well get _some_ sort of reward for doing all of this work.

"Isn't it reward enough to see two people be happy?" Rouge glared at Amy, who groaned. "Alright, alright... I'll give you twenty bucks." Rouge smiled.

"Deal." The two shook on it. "So, what's the plan?"

The hedgehog smirked. "Silver's most likely gonna take her to that new Italian place that just opened up down the street. It's one of those fancy restaurants with the reservations and whatnot. They've got plenty of nooks and crannies and hiding places."

"Are you implying-"

"That we spy on them? Yeah, pretty much." She giggled; although it sounded slightly less innocent than it normally did. That girl had something wrong with her head.

"And what good will that do us, exactly?" Rouge crossed her arms, lifting an eyebrow.

"Just like in the movies~ We're going to give her subtle little tips, you know; helping her not make a fool of herself."

"You're _serious? _Amy, I know you like to dream big and all, but this is pushing it. Blaze can look out for herself. There's no reason to go hiding under tables and passing notes on napkins for all this."

"Come _on,_ Rouge! You know how nervous she can get! I could tell she had trouble even saying 'yes' when Silver asked her out. _Everyone _knows first dates are the most awkward and tough part of every relationship."

"And exactly how many relationships have you been in?" the bat asked, knowing for a fact that Amy had dated exactly zero boys, while Rouge had lost count.

"Uugh. Rouge, just listen! This is the first step in their relationship. They've known each other for years; and they've been through a lot together. Don't you think after everything they've been through, and all those years of working together, that they deserve to _be _together? Don't you think they should be able to be more than friends? They obviously love each other, Rouge, and I think they deserve to be happy." Amy looked down at her hands, then back up at Rouge; with big puppy-dog eyes. "Don't you think they do? Won't you do this for them?"

Rouge crossed her arms, shook her head and sighed. _I can't believe I'm doing this. _"As long as I get ten extra dollars." A bright smile spread on Amy's face, and she squeaked excitedly.

"C'mon, then! Let's go~!" Before Rouge could say anything else, she was yanked out of the room and out the front door.

Amy and Rouge arrived at the restaurant. In the long line of people waiting to get in, they managed to spot two familiar shapes—a hedgehog and a cat. "Just in time," Amy murmured. "We have to get inside unnoticed."

"Leave that to me," Rouge said casually. She then silently led Amy out to the back of the restaurant. "You wanted to do this 'just like in the movies', didn't you?" Amy nodded. "Alright, then. See that vent up there?" Amy smiled, obviously knowing what Rouge's plan was. Even though the bat didn't exactly want to be here; she might as well have some fun. She flew up to the vent, observing it. She took out her (usually hidden) tool belt, carefully selecting which screwdriver to use. Once it was open, she placed it to the side. "You can go first, Amy." The pink hedgehog did as she was told, climbing up to the opening and crawling inside. She was probably imagining she was a spy or a ninja... that's just like her.

Rouge went after her, flying up to the vent with ease. The two crawled through the narrow space until they were directly above the kitchen. There seemed to be no other exit.

"Oh, this is just _great. _There's no way we're going to get past all these chefs," Rouge whispered, making the annoyance clear in her voice.

"Nonsense; of course we can. We're spies, 'member?" Amy and her fantasies... Rouge sighed for the third time in an hour, Amy looking down into the kitchen, seeming to study her surroundings. Rouge glanced around impatiently, but then noticed something. Through the vent, she could see through a small window in the kitchen. Through the window, she could barely make out two people entering the restaurant. Silver and Blaze. They were running out of time.

"Psst, Amy," Rouge whispered urgently. "Lovebirds at ten o'clock."

"Roger that," Amy said with a mock salute that made Rouge roll her eyes. "I think I found a way in." She pointed to one of the chefs, who appeared to be stirring soup while watching an oven. "The oven goes off in thirty seconds. When it goes off, he'll be distracted, and we can get down there. All the others are facing the other direction and manning different stations away from here; so they shouldn't notice if we're quiet about it. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"No, Rouge. You gotta say 'roger that' or it isn't spy-like." _Gotta hand it to her... She may be annoying, but she's also adorable._

"Fine. Roger that." Amy smiled. Just then, the oven went off, and the chef stopped stirring the soup for a moment to check on whatever was baking. _Now's our chance. _The two quickly lifted the vent and climbed through, Rouge flying down to land silently on the floor while Amy nearly fell. Luckily, Rouge caught her and they still managed not to make a sound. They tiptoed over to the door...

"Hey! What are you two doing in my kitchen?!" Oh no. One of the chefs noticed them, and didn't look too happy about them being there. As he came towards them, spoon raised angrily in the air, they ran out the doors and headed for cover. They rounded a corner and found a potted plant, which they hid behind. When the chef came into sight, he looked around for them, but to no avail. Rouge and Amy simultaneously let out a breath of relief.

"Ah... I need to go to the bathroom," they heard a familiar voice say. They both looked in the direction of it, just in time to see Silver awkwardly getting up from his table and heading toward the bathrooms, leaving Blaze with her menu. When Rouge looked over at Amy, the hedgehog was already up and heading towards the lavender cat. Rouge followed.

"Amy? Rouge? What are you two doing here..?" Blaze asked, confused.

"Ya need help, Blaze, and that's what we're here t' do," Amy explained.

"Help?" Blaze repeated. "Why would I need that?"

"Blaze. We love you and all, but even _you _know you won't be able to keep yourself together for this date," Rouge told her very matter-of-factly.

"I-I can do just fine on my own, thank you," Blaze argued.

Amy stepped up. "Seriously? You can't even talk about the guy without getting flustered! Silver gave up before the date even started; and you're not all that tougher than he is." Blaze sighed. She knew Amy was telling the truth. The cat looked down at her untouched silverware.

"Okay, I admit it... I already stuttered twice and tripped once on the way here." At least she's honest.

"Okay... First, you need to know where your nervousness is coming from—and I think I have an idea." Rouge said this, surprising the others. Rouge was being _helpful?_

"Oh? Uh... What do you think, Rouge?" Blaze asked. Amy also looked at her, curious as to what Rouge had to say.

"Well... You two were basically brother and sister back in Crisis City, right?" Blaze nodded. "Were you ever nervous around him during those times?" Rouge continued, slowly walking around the table. Blaze shook her head. "I think you just feel different now because this is the first time you're seeing him like... this. All you need to do is think back to the times when things weren't weird between the two of you. Think you can do that, Blaze?" Rouge finished, facing Blaze as she stopped circling the table.

"Yes... Yeah, I can do that. That's... that's actually a great idea, Rouge. I think I can do this." Blaze smiled.

"That's our girl," Rouge said with a grin. Amy nodded.

"Yeah, you can do it!" Blaze smiled at them both and thanked them, her way of politely asking them to leave. As they exited the building, Amy looked at Rouge. "... Aren't we gonna see how the date goes?" Rouge smirked, not making eye contact.

"I put a recording device under the table." The two then went to Rouge's house, where they would listen to a live audio feed of Silver and Blaze's big date.

—

Author's Note: Sorry that this is another "advice" chapter... I promise I won't do any more. Also, I apologize that the plot was... weird. (I made up the whole Rouge having a tool belt part because that was necessary, and... yeah.) My sister was watching Disney Channel while I wrote this, so...

I know this is just kind of a filler chapter; it isn't of much importance to the story plot. But the next chapter will be the actual date, I promise. ^-^


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- The Date

_Okay, okay... pull yourself together. You can do this. _As he was stalling in the restroom (no pun intended), Silver tried to encourage himself. It didn't do much good. He sighed, turning off the water in the sink. He looked in his reflection. He had tried to fix his hair, but every time he did so it just popped back into place. The hedgehog had been in here for almost ten minutes; Blaze was probably starting to worry. With one last deep breath, Silver exited the restroom and made his way back to the table where Blaze was waiting.

"What took so long? I was worried you fell into the toilet," the cat said jokingly. She seemed to speak more... naturally to him than she did when they were on their way here. Or maybe it was just that he was being more awkward. He couldn't really tell.

"Oh, uh... Just got distracted, I guess." Blaze lifted an eyebrow, and he was quick to add: "T-there were doodles on the stall door." She nodded, but he didn't know if she believed him or not. Luckily for Silver, their waiter stopped by before the conversation could get even more awkward.

"What will you have, sir?" he asked, taking out a pencil and notebook pad and looking at Silver.

"Um..." He pointed to the a soup on the menu. It was Italian, and he didn't know how to pronounce it. The waiter jotted something down in his notepad.

"And for the lady?"

"I'll just have some ravioli, thank you." Blaze told him with a respectful nod. She folded up her menu and put it to the side, and Silver did the same. The waiter finished writing down their orders and walked away. Blaze looked at Silver, and he blushed the second their eyes met. Blaze smiled.

"So, Silver. Where did you _really _go earlier today? I know you didn't just go for a stroll. That's unlike you." _Dang. I knew she wouldn't fall for that..._ Silver was never the greatest liar. Blaze was the one that knew him best, and she could see right through all his lies. For all he knew, she could literally read his mind. He gulped nervously, then looked away.

"Y-you want the truth..?"

"Yes, Silver. I want to know where you went in such a hurry." She leaned forward, looking interested in hearing his story. But, of course, he couldn't just _tell _her what he was doing. But he couldn't lie, either.

"I... I was with Sonic." He may not be going into detail; but at least he was telling the truth.

"Why? I thought you didn't like Sonic." She looked suspicious.

"We were practicing... sports." _I guess that qualifies as the truth._

"Sports, huh? Since when are you athletic?" She said this with the same playful smirk she had always used back in Crisis City when she was joking with him. Back when things weren't awkward or weird. Before Silver discovered his feelings toward her. How was she able to do that? Silver was sitting here, his heart beating as fast as a rabbit's when she merely _looked _at him. He couldn't speak correctly. His face turned red when he so much as thought of her name. And here she was, calm, cool and collected, as if they had the exact same brother/sister relationship as they had before. She wasn't even blushing; not even stuttering. It was almost as if she didn't feel the same about Silver—and that was entirely possible, as much as he hated it. Maybe the only reason she said "yes" to this date was because she felt sorry for Silver. He instantly felt a thousand times worse. "... Uh, Silver? You alright?"

"Oh, yeah... I'm fine, it's just..." His cheeks glowed crimson and he looked down at the table. "... Blaze, why'd you say 'yes'?"

"Huh..?"

"Why did you agree to go on this date with me?" He looked her in the eyes, trying his best to suppress his blush. He braced himself, knowing that Blaze would probably try to dodge the question or say "it doesn't matter" or something like that. He couldn't believe himself. How could he have thought Blaze loved him back? But, when he looked up, he was surprised at what he saw. Blaze was blushing. _Blushing. _And not from her refusing to admit she pitied him. No, there was no guilt in her eyes; no sadness. She looked genuinely embarrassed. Shy, even. Just like... just like he felt around her.

"W-well, um... You know how you said you've been having dreams lately?"

"...Yeah... what does that have to do with—"

"Silver, what were your dreams about?" she asked, cutting him off. She looked him directly in the eye, her blush remaining. He was also blushing profusely by now. She wanted to know what his dreams were about? He couldn't just tell her! Those were really personal. They were about him and Blaze. Why would she want to know this? Has she been having the same kinds of dreams? Well... he had to answer her. Honestly, this time. After all, he had promised himself that _today _was the day he'd confess his feelings. No matter what. And, what better time than the present? Silver took in a deep breath.

"Listen... Blaze, I know this is probably gonna sound really, _really _weird... But, I've been having dreams about..." He looked away. His heart was thumping a million miles a minute. His face was completely red. He was practically shaking. "... you. Dreams about... us. Together. Like, you liking me... Like, _like_-liking me..." There was no going back now. This was it. It was now or never. "I-I... I think I l-love—"

Before he could finish, Blaze silenced him by placing her hand on top of his. His eyes went wide, and he looked at her. Blaze's amber eyes were warm, filled with compassion. "Silver. I don't think that sounds weird at all. I've been having the same types of dreams, and..." She gave a small, yet sweet, smile. "... I think I love you, too." Silver's breath caught in his chest. His eyes widened. The butterflies in his stomach fluttered their wings ferociously, and he felt himself fill with warmth. He felt... happy. She said she loved him. He could hardly believe what he had just heard. Did she _really _say that? Her eyes gleamed, her hand still resting on his own. He could've sworn he heard a chorus of angels sing. A bright smile formed on his face. This was the single best moment of his entire life. _Nothing _could top it. The beautiful, perfect, love of his life loves him back! He buried his face in his arms and blushed harder than he's ever blushed before, giggling like a little girl. Blaze chuckled, and he lifted his head just in time to see her laugh. He was always so focused on her sheer beauty that he never noticed how cute her laugh was. This caused him to laugh as well. Once they both stopped, they made eye contact again.

"B-Blaze, I... Do you mean it..?"

"Of course I do, you dork." She smiled, filling him with a surprising sense of calm. Once again, he was lost in her gaze. This time, there seemed to be a far away look in her eyes as well. He knew she wasn't lying, because he could see the care and love behind them. Blaze blinked, leaning forward slowly, her face seeming to glow a bit more with every inch. Silver did this as well, although his cheeks were already crimson. They leaned closer, and closer, until there faces were centimeters apart. Unanimously, they both closed there eyes, leaning in even closer...

"A-_hem._" They jolted back to their original positions in their seats to find the waiter standing there with their food. "Sorry to interrupt your, ah... _moment, _but your dinner is ready." Blaze smiled awkwardly, Silver just rubbed the back of his head and let out a fake, quiet laugh.

"Ah... Thanks," he said as the food was set down on their table. When the waiter left, Silver thought he heard a small buzzing sound come from under the table. _Meh, probably nothing,_ he thought to himself. He and Blaze locked eyes for a moment, before looking away. Silver smiled to himself, wondering if his blush would ever disappear. He looked down at his soup. Not too much steam rose off of it, but it didn't look too cold, either. He felt his stomach growl, suddenly realizing he had eaten nothing today but half a piece of toast. The hedgehog picked up his spoon and dipped it into his bowl, then taste-tested the soup. It was like tomato soup, but... different. Better. Fancier. This soup didn't come out of a can.

"Someone's hungry," Blaze remarked jokingly. He hadn't even noticed, but he had slurped up almost all of his soup, and was currently leaning over his bowl with his spoon in his mouth. He put it down and sat up, laughing awkwardly.

"Heh, yeah; guess so," Silver replied. Blaze smiled sweetly.

He looked out the window. Past the reflections of waiters walking past and others eating dinner, he could see a couple walking outside. Laughing, smiling, holding hands. They looked genuinely happy—a feeling that couldn't be bought. He felt warmth flow through him as he imagined him and Blaze that happy together.

—

Author's Note: Well, my computer's finally fixed. ...It was actually fixed a couple days ago; I'm just a big procrastinator, so... I apologize. I also apologize that this chapter isn't really written that well. And, no, this is not the last chapter. Trust me, there's much more to come. I'll try to update daily, but if I can't, it will be every three days at the most. Thanks so much for being patient, everyone! And I appreciate the reviews!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- Technical Difficulties

—

Author's Note: This is a fairly short and uneventful chapter; I hope that's okay.

—

_The date sounds like it's going well. That's good._ Amy thought this to herself while sitting with Rouge, listening to the live audio feed from Silver and Blaze's table at the restaurant. They were casually talking at this point; Silver had just gotten back from the bathroom and they were ordering their food. Then they talked more, and Silver said something unexpected.

_"Why... Why did you say 'yes'?"_

"Woah... Where do you think this conversation's going, Rouge?" Amy asked the bat.

"I'm not sure. We didn't tell her what to say if he asked something like this..." Rouge replied, leaning in closer to the small stereo-like thing that was playing the audio. Amy did the same, wondering what would happen.

Then, after a few sentences, the strangest thing did.

_"I... I think I love you, too."_ Did Blaze just..?

Everything went silent but the muffled sounds of other people eating and conversing. Amy could almost _feel _what was happening from here. Her girl senses were tingling. Silver and Blaze must be kissing.

But right then, the sound stopped altogether and turned to static.

"Rouge! I think something happened to the device!"

"You think I didn't notice?" Rouge looked deep in thought, probably wondering what in the world could have gone wrong. Amy wondered this as well. They couldn't have discovered it—or could they have? A few, suspenseful, silent minutes went by; although it seemed like an eternity. Then the sound came back on. ...But... It didn't sound like the interior of a restaurant any more. It was more like a small room; an air conditioner could be heard somewhere in the background; along with what sounded like some kid giggling. _What in the..?_

_"Hehe... Why d'ya think it was there, Vector?"_ It was Charmy's voice. _What the actual-?_

_"Who knows? Seemed like someone was try'na spy on those two," _replied a voice belonging to a familiar crocodile.

_"Maybe whoever planted it was planning an ambush on them while they were vulnerable." _This sounded like Espio. _Huh... That's weird. Espio got his own house next door to them because he couldn't meditate or practice his ninja things or whatever. Why's he at Vector and Charmy's house? _

Rouge sighed. "I didn't think I'd have to do this, but..." She flipped a switch on the stereo-thing, and a small microphone appeared. Amy instantly knew what it was for.

"Alright, listen up, ya knuckleheads!" Amy exclaimed into the microphone before Rouge could do or say anything. "We were doing something important, and you ruined it!" Sure enough, Charmy heard her.

_"Amy? That you?"_ the bee asked.

"Yeah, it's me! And you just stole property that isn't yours!"

_"Amy, we were afraid someone was spying on Silver and Blaze," _Espio explained.

"And so what if we were?" Amy replied impatiently.

_"That was you?" _Vector asked, sounding shocked. _"Why'd you do that?"_

"Because those two could finally be happy, and we wanted to see if their date went well. This is the first step in their relationship!"

"Amy, calm down. They didn't know," Rouge told her. Amy pouted when the bat took over the job of talking to them.

"Listen, Blaze is a close friend of Amy's, and her and Silver's relationship happen to be important to Amy. She's just upset that she can't check to see how they're doing, is all."

_"Huh... It means that much to you?" _Vector asked.

"Uh, _yeah. _It does." Amy told him crossly.

_"In that case, our agency will be happy to assist you; with just the small price of—" _They heard what sounded like a punch, a grunt, and then Espio spoke.

_"I should probably go alone. I won't attract any attention." _

"Really? Thanks, Espio. Be sure to let us know what's going on; it's real important." Rouge rolled her eyes, and Amy glared at her.

_"I'm on my way right now."_ With that, the device clicked off.

—

(Another) Author's Note: Alright, I don't think I made it very clear about Espio's moving. First, that's completely made up. This is a fanfiction, after all. Second, the Chaotix are still a team; Espio is just living next door now. They still meet in the same place when discussing detective stuff. So... just clearing up any confusion; because even I was a little confused. :P


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- Spying

"No, no—I'll take care of it," Silver insisted. The two of them had been arguing over who would pay for the food. Blaze sighed, admitting defeat, and allowed him to pay for the meal. He took his wallet out of that magical pouch that everyone seems to have, and carefully counted out the amount of money needed. He placed it on the table, and the two got up to leave.

As they walked out, Blaze shivered when she felt a chill run down her spine. "A-are you cold?" Silver asked quickly. "I mean, I don't have a jacket, but—"

"No, it's fine, Silver. Thank you." She smiled sweetly, and Silver seemed to relax a bit. "I just... I have the strangest feeling."

"Like what?" Silver asked.

"Like... I don't know, like we're being watched, or something." Blaze shook her head. "It's probably nothing, though." She felt something brush her hand, and she looked down to see that it was Silver's hand. When he noticed she was looking, he glanced away, and even in the dark his blush was apparent. Blaze smiled, taking his hand. He turned to face her, smiling shyly.

Blaze stopped when she heard a rustling in the bushes. She looked over, but it was too dark to see anything.

"Something wrong..?" Silver asked worriedly, following her gaze.

"I... I heard something. Stay here," she told him. Of course, Silver refused to obey, following her over to the bushes. She decided not to complain, allowing him to come along.

The two approached the bushes where Blaze heard the noise. After a few moments of no sound but crickets chirping in the distance, there was a light rustling again.

"What do you think it is, Blaze?" Silver asked quietly, not daring to raise his voice.

"I'm not sure. It's probably just a pigeon or something, but I want to be certain." The cat crept forward, keeping her eyes on where the sound seemed to be coming from. The closer she got, she heard more sounds—very, very faint sounds, just on the edge of audibility. When she was right in front of the bushes, she heard what sounded like a faint heartbeat. No sign of breathing; whatever, or whoever, it was must be holding their breath. Why would a pigeon hold its breath? And, a pigeon's heartbeat shouldn't be this easy to hear.

That was when she heard a sound clearly. So clearly, even Silver heard it, who was standing a few feet away. The static of a communication device, and the muffled sound of someone on the other end. The leaves rustled one last time, and footsteps were heard running away from them, yet the source of them wasn't seen.

Leaping over the bush, Blaze chased after the footsteps.

"Hey, wait up!" Silver called, not having expected her to jump over the bush. He tried his best to keep up, but Blaze was much faster than him. She kept running, listening closely to the footsteps. They took an abrupt turn into a small wooded area, and Blaze followed. After a little bit, however, the sound grew steadily quieter, and it was harder to follow. She came up to a tree with a low-hanging branch, and right as she was about to pass it the footsteps stopped completely. She guessed that whoever they were chasing was hiding up in the trees, but it was far too dark to tell. They needed light. Blaze thought of using her powers, but then remembered they were surrounded by trees, and they could easily catch on fire.

A moment later, she heard footsteps behind her and turned around.

"Hey, it's just me," Silver said, holding up his hands. Blaze relaxed slightly, then turned back toward the trees. It was then that she thought of something.

"Silver, I need you to do something," she said quietly. Silver, glad he could be of some use, nodded. "I'm going to light a torch. As soon as I light it, I want you to capture it with your psychokinesis. That way, nothing catches on fire. Got it?"

"Yeah," Silver replied, getting ready. There wasn't a second to waste. Whoever they were chasing could leap to another tree at any time. She found a fallen branch, set it ablaze, and just like he said he would, Silver caught it with his powers. The torch lit up the area around them, but there was no sign of anyone. It didn't make sense. Whoever it was wouldn't have had time to get very far without either of them hearing. Maybe she was just missing something... She concentrated, looking into the shadows. It was then that she saw something.

"Silver," she whispered. "Move that torch a little." He did as he was told, and it was just as she expected. The shadows around a certain branch didn't move quite like the others, and the light seemed somewhat distorted. The person wasn't gone... they were invisible.

Blaze leapt up, kicking the branch. It broke, falling to the ground, and she heard a grunt. A purple shape became visible on top of the branch, and she recognized Espio. He looked like he was in a lot of pain, but Blaze didn't understand why. _I only kicked the branch... I think. _She then noticed he was curled up in a ball, groaning, almost on the verge of tears. Espio was pretty tough, and Blaze knew there was pretty much only one place that would hurt him that much.

...Whoops.

"Sorry, Espio... I didn't know it was you," Blaze said, kneeling down. Silver put the torch down, almost forgetting to put it out. He remembered at the last second, and did so just before it hit the ground. He then joined the others.

"It's... fine," Espio forced out, opening his eyes.

"What were you doing?" Silver asked him.

"On a... job. Vector told me to—" Espio cringed for a second, then relaxed. His pain seemed to be passing. "—check out the restaurant. Said there were reports of suspicious things." The chameleon sat up, seeming to have almost fully recovered at this point.

"Oh, alright. We were just worried, is all," Blaze said. "Sorry, again."

"It's fine. Just be careful where you kick, next time."

Blaze laughed awkwardly. "Well, bye, Espio." She stood up, Silver doing the same. They waved 'good-bye' to Espio, and then went back the way they came.

"Hey, Blaze?" Silver asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know the way home from here?"

"Sure I do." _I hope. _

—

Author's Note: So... The next chapter is going to basically be this one, but from Espio's point of view; kind of like I did with chapters 2 and 3. I hope that's okay. ^-^;


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9- Spying (Espio PoV)

Espio leaned against the outside wall of the restaurant. He had turned invisible, so he needn't worry about anyone seeing him. He was also quiet and still, plus there wasn't even a lot of people walking by at the moment.

Luckily for him, Silver and Blaze had chosen a spot close to a window; so it wasn't too hard to listen in on their conversation. Amy and Rouge had given him a wrist communicator, and Amy had instructed him to keep them informed on what was going on and if the date was going well. She told him to give them an update every ten minutes.

"Everything seems to be going fine. Mostly small talk, at the moment," Espio said into his communicator at the next ten-minute mark. At this hour, people were starting to leave the restaurant, but he was quiet and far enough away from them so that they didn't hear. He was also sheltered by a row of bushes, and most of the people were having their own conversations, anyway.

_"Great. Keep it up, Espio," _Amy said on the other line, although he could tell she was waiting impatiently for something interesting to happen. When Espio looked into the window, he saw that Silver and Blaze were getting up to leave. He was light on his feet, and quickly moved to a spot in the bushes where he could hear them converse as they walked out.

They were still talking as they left. He couldn't hear them perfectly well, since they were just now exiting the building, but it didn't look as if anything important were happening. They walked a little closer, within hearing range. Then, Blaze stopped. She told Silver that she thought they were being watched. _Great. _

She slowly walked up to where he was stationed in the bushes. As the cat approached, Espio held in his breath. Blaze seemed to be examining him, even though she couldn't really _see _him. He saw in her eyes that she was slowly losing interest; maybe about to walk away.

Amy, of course, couldn't see anything from his end; but could probably have heard Blaze talking.

_"Espio, get out of there!" _she said into his earpiece, a little louder than necessary. Blaze heard it—it was apparent in her eyes and perked up ears. Since he had no other option, he ran.

Blaze was quicker than she looked.

She followed him with speed topped only by the fastest and best; her agility nearly matching that of his. He noticed that up ahead, to the left, was a small patch of woodland. He took a sharp turn, hoping to throw Blaze off a bit. But, of course, she was hot on his trail again only a moment later. As they ran deeper into the trees, he seemed to lose her. When he was far enough away for her not to hear, he ran up to a tree with a low-hanging branch, grabbing onto it and swinging himself upward to perch on the branch like a bird. Only moments later Blaze appeared, Silver not very far behind.

"Hey, it's just me," Silver told Blaze when she turned, startled.

"Silver, I need you to do something," Blaze said, barely loud enough for Espio to hear from where he was. She then lowered her voice a bit more, making what she said unclear. She explained something to Silver, who looked excited. _Oh no. _

Blaze, much to his surprise, lit a torch. _Wow... I thought she'd be more careful than that; out in the woods and all_. Then, Silver caught it with his psychokinetic powers. _Hm... Clever. _He raised it up, and Blaze examined the area. She couldn't possibly see him; he was invisible. ...Could she? Blaze told Silver to move the light. _Maybe she's just looking for clues that someone's been here..._

Before Espio even knew what was happening, Blaze kicked the branch—but that wasn't the only thing that was hit. Espio's breath caught in his chest, and he fell to the ground, unable to maintain his invisibility. He curled up, his tail wrapping around himself. Pain surged through his body, and his stomach tightened.

Blaze knelt down beside him. "Sorry, Espio... I didn't know it was you," she apologized.

"It's... fine," he managed to get out with the breath he had left.

"What were you doing?" Silver asked. Espio thought quickly.

"On a... job," he replied. His hesitance wouldn't seem suspicious, since he was in pain. "Vector told me to—" He cringed as one last surge of pain pulsed through him. "—check out the restaurant. Said there were reports of suspicious things." Espio sat up. The worst of the pain had passed.

"Oh, alright. We were just worried, is all," Blaze told him. "Sorry, again."

"It's fine. Just be careful where you kick next time," Espio said. Blaze then laughed awkwardly.

"Well, bye, Espio," the cat said. She and Silver waved, and then they left, leaving Espio alone to catch his breath. After a couple moments, a voice spoke from inside his earpiece.

_"Is everything okay? How are Blaze and Silver?" _Amy asked.

"They're fine. And I'm okay, too. Thanks for asking," he commented sarcastically, then got up to head for home.


	10. --AUTHOR'S NOTE--

Author's Note: ...Right, well. This story is on temporary hiatus until my school ends. I have a week left, and this past week has been kind of stressful, and that's why I haven't been updating very frequently. No, this does NOT mean I'm out of ideas or I'm stalling or anything like that. I'm just really stressed out right now, and it'll be much easier to continue this in the summer. There's still more chapters to come, and I have plenty of ideas for future stuff. Again, this hiatus is only TEMPORARY, as in I'll be updating frequently again when it's summer.


End file.
